Ice-cream cone carrier and carrier support



P 4, 1951 H. A. CLEMENT ET AL 2,567,054

ICE-CREAM CONE CARRIER AND CARRIER SUPPORT Filed Aug. 25, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l I a 1 E HOIIWI'A. Clement, JNVENTORS ME A Thomas Jgleghorn ATTORNEYS P 4, 1951 H. A. CLEMENT ET AL 2,567,054

ICE-CREAM com: CARRIER AND CARRIER SUPPORT Filed Aug. 25, 1948 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 RmeRA. Clement, INVENTORS F 21mm J." ggeghom Er n/4,9 4 AITQRNE'YS Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED ICE-CREAM CONE CARRIER AND CARRIER SUPPORT Homer A. Clement, Chelmsford, and Thomas J. Cleghorn, Lowell, Mass.

Application August 25, 1948, Serial No. 46,138

9 Claims.

This invention relates to ice cream cone carriers and carrier supports. The carrier and carrier support may each be foldable and formed from a flexible sheet material such as cardboard, so cut and creased as to be shipped or packed flat but easily assembled into usable condition. The carrier support may also be made of more rigid material, if desired, and may be permanently assembled or may be arranged for disassembly into separate parts for shipping.

The principal object of our device is to provide a cardboard tray or the like, having perforations for holding ice cream cones in the flat surface thereof, and having a strong handle portion to permit cones to be carried from a refreshment stand to an automobile or for similar purposes. Such carriers must preferably be inexpensive to manufacture, by a single stamping from a single sheet and must be capable of being packed flat. They must also be foldable into a strong weightcarrying tray surface without the use of both hands, as the operator is ordinarily working at great speed and has an ice cream scoop in one hand most of the time.

The blank from which we form our tray is preferably circular and we make two concentric cuts near the periphery thereof to form oppositely disposed curved handles or bails, these bail strips being free to bend upwardly. At the end of each bail out, we crease a line to the perimeter of the blank thus leaving two oppositely disposed projecting tabs to which the bails are hinged. The tab may be narrow or broad, as desired, and, of course, the broader it is the less the bails will project above the surface of the tray.

In contradistinction to prior devices we do not cut holes for the ice cream cones in that portion of the tray between the tabs and under the turned up bails. We distribute our ice cream cone holes within the sectors defined by the bail cuts and may have two cone holes in each sector or three or more such holes in each sector of trays of larger size. It is obvious, however, that our tray when perforated as above can also be'used to support other objects such as frankfurts and rolls or that tapered or rimmed cups can be inserted in the perforations. Similarly, the perforations, or what we call ice cream coneholes, can be eliminated entirely and the device be used as a convenient cardboard tray for other foodstuffs in other types of containers.

When using a sheet material, with a grain, such as cardboard, we have discovered that the bails when raised should be at right angles to the grain, thus helping to give rigidity to the particircular sectors of the tray. The crease lines of the bails, are thus also at right angles to the grain and the crease line of the central hanger or hangers, to be hereinafter described, are parallel to the grain.

We have further discovered that relatively thin and inexpensive cardboard can be used in our invention by providing what we call a. central hanger to connect the turned up bails with the centre of the tray. The hanger is formed by cuts, in the same stamping as forms the balls and the perforations, and is located between the tabs. Preferably it extends from proximate the centre of the tray to proximate the outer edge of a tab and is so hinged at a crease line that it will bend upwardly to a vertical position. A T-shaped head is provided on the hanger so that when the balls are turned up, their middle portion will be held in notches of the head. The bails may be bowed slightly to exert continual pressure. The bails are thus interlocked with the hanger and the tray is supported at each end and in the middle of the bails.

Our carriers are shipped flat in a suitable container and with each set of carriers we may include what we call a carrier support madeo-f cardboard or the like, either folded fiat or disassembled into two flat parts. Our carrier support consists of two flat members, each cut about halfway along a centre line so that the two members can be put together in the form of a cross with vertical walls. We cut elongated tabs in each side of each wall and so crease them that they will hinge or bend toward a tab of an adjacent wall and interlock by suitable notches. Our cross shaped carrier support thus has two horizontal edges at right angles to each other upon which our carrier may be rested while ice cream is placed in cones carried in the perforations of the carrier.

The space between the vertical walls and the space left by the tab cuts in one of the walls provide' room for the depending portion of the cones. On the top edge of the other wall we form, by suitable cuts, a projecting tab or stud which is undercut and is located near the crossing point of the vertical walls. In each carrier, we provide a hole, to register with this stud, and can thus lower the tray to cause the stud to pass through the hole. By a slight movement of the tray toward the stud, the tray becomes looked under the stud and is held firmly until moved in the opposite direction, for removal.

We provide another upwardly projecting stud on the top edge of either wall so placed as to strike the central hanger of the carrier when lowered onto the carrier support. The central hanger is thus snapped upward into a vertical position, ready to receive a bail on each side and interlock with them.

Instead of an upright cross formed of two walls of cardboard we may provide a hanger stud and a locking stud in the upper surface of an elon= gated block out to fit under the carrier, below the bails. The block may be supported by a central post above a circular or cross shaped base and the parts may be glued permanently together or may be held together in any convenient manner.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our new carrier and carrier support.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation from the right side of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the carrier support.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank for my carrier showing the cuts, creases, and perforations and showing how the carrier is shipped fiat.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of. the blank for one wall of our carrier support.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the carrier with the bails and central hanger interlocked in carrying position and showing in dotted lines a modified type of bail and bail out.

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of the other wall of our carrier support and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified carrier support partly in section to show the cooperation between the carrier and carrier'support.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the blank for a modified form of carrier having two short hangers.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a blank for a still further modification in which the carrier has only one bail and one hanger.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 9 assembled for use.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 10 assembled for use.

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the blank for another form of carrier in which there are two overlapping hangers.

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the device of Fig.

13 assembled for use and showing in dotted lines an alternative position for the two hangers.

As shown, A is our new carrier, which is preferably formed from a circular blank B, of flexible sheet material such as cardboard, and which may have a grain as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6. By the use of a suitable die and in a single stamping operation, we make all of the cuts and creases described below to convert blank B into a flattened carrier A, which can be stacked for shipping and dispensing in a cardboard container not shown.

C, C are circular perforations of a size to permit ice cream cones to be held therein although it is obvious that such holes could be of other geometrical shapes, if desired, or could be eliminated if carrier A is to be used as a tray for such articles as frankfurts and rolls.

D, D are what we call bails, formed by concentric cuts at 2, 2 which end at a crease line 3, 3 on either side of a tab 4, 4. As indicated in dotted lines at 5 in Fig. 6, the bails and cuts could be of angular formation but we prefer to make them parti-circular to avoid sharp angles in a thin strip of cardboard. The grain of the cardboard bails is perpendicular to the bail crease lines at 3, 3, rather than parallel to them thus avoiding any tendency of the bails to bend if the weight on A were one sided.

E is what we call a central hanger, located in the space between tabs 4, 4 and cut at 6 to form a T-shaped head 1 with undercut notches at 8 to accommodate the upper middle portion 9 of bails D. The platform or plane surface II] of A is creased at I I to enable hanger E to be bent upwardly to a vertical position where the parts 9, 9 of D, D will be interlocked therewith.

F is a perforation, in the platform Ill, so cut as to fit over an upwardly projecting stud 3|] on the upper edge of one of the vertical walls 3| of a carrier support S. Stud 3|) is undercut at 32 so and 7, is also stamped from a flexible sheet material such as cardboard and comprises a vertical wall 3|, and a vertical wall 4|, which can be shipped flat on top of a stack of carriers in a container.

Wall 3| has a central vertical cut at 33, extending about half way down the wall, which cooperates with a central vertical cut at 43, extending about half way up wall 4|, to enable the walls to be assembled into a cross. Wall 4| is cut at 44, 44 to form arms 45, 45 and is creased at 46 so that the arms may be turned downwardly. When turned downwardly cuts 44, 44 define openings of sufiicient size to accommodate the depending portions of ice cream cones I held in a carrier A as shown in Fig. 1. Notches 41 are provided in each arm 45, to interlock with notches 31, of arms 35 formed by cuts 34 in 3| and turned downwardly on crease lines 36.

On the upper edge of a wall such as 4|, we provide an upwardly projecting stud 40 so located as to strike the horizontal hanger E of a blank B and lift E into a substantially vertical position. Thus instead of having to provide fingerholes for lifting hanger E, our hanger is automatically lifted as a blank B is lowered onto a carrier support S. The carrier is then looked under stud 30 and the bails D are raised and looked under head 1 of E to form a carrier A.

To distinguish between the two studs of our device, we call stud 40 the first or hanger stud and stud 30 the second or looking stud.

While we prefer to make our support S of cardboard which can be easily stamped and can be shipped flat, in more permanent installations, we may make our carrier support of more permanent materials such as wood.

In Fig. 8, H is a carrier support of wood or the like having a base 50 of cross shape, a central post 5|, and a block 52 supported by the post. Block 52 is elongated and fits under the space between tabs 4, 4, and under bails D, D, so that it will not interfere with the depending portion of cones in holes C. A locking stud 53, undercut at 54 is provided, similar to 30, and a hanger lifting stud 55 is also provided, similar to 40. The parts 50, 5| and 52 may be fastened together in any suitable manner and may be disassembled for shipping if desired. Any suitable upper surface for 52 may be provided, which will give support to cardboard platform ll] of A and whic will support studs such as 55 and 53.

As shown in Figs. 9 and 11, we may provide two hangers M, M, in each carrier N, back to back to grasp intermediate portions of bails 6t, 60, thus giving four points of support for the carrier.

In Figs. 10 and 12 a further modification is shown in which a carrier P has only one bail H1 and one hanger 1|, the bail being locked in the notch 12 on the far side of the hanger.

A still further modification is shown in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14 in which hangers 8|], 8| in carrier R are so cut and creased as to overlap and to be locked in the crossing position. Shown in dotted lines in Fig. 14 hangers and 8| may also be creased on lines 82 and 83 to assume the full line position shown in Fig. 14.

It is obvious that we can increase or decrease the space between the crease lines such as 3, 3 of tabs such as 4, 4 thus giving a wide or narrow tab 4 and producing bails of greater or less height above [0, as desired. We prefer to so cut the hanger, bails and tabs however that the bails flt exactly in the notches of a head such as 1 so that the surface IU of the carrier will not tend to concavity or convexity.

Our carrier can, of course, be used in an upside down position, if desired, in which case the hanger becomes a brace by suitable notches.

We claim:

1. An ice cream cone dispensing device comprising an ice cream cone carrier formed from a single blank of flexible sheet material havin cuts defining ice cream cone holes, a locking stud hole, two parti-circular peripheral bails and a central bail hanger and having hinge creases for said bails and hanger and a carrier support including a supporting surface in contact with uncut portions of the underside of the carrier and including a first stud projecting upwardly from said surface, beneath the hinged bail hanger, to lift said hanger and a second stud, provided with an undercut, and projecting upwardly from said surface through the locking stud hole, with the undercut portion extending beyond the stud hole and engaging the surface of the carrier.

2. An ice cream cone dispensing device comprising an ice cream cone carrier formed from a single blank of flexible sheet material having cuts defining ice cream cone holes, a locking stud hole, two parti-circular peripheral bails and a central bail hanger and having hinge creases for said bails and hanger and a carrier support including a supporting surface in contact with uncut portions of the underside of the carrier and including a first stud projecting upwardly from said surface, beneath the hinged bail hanger, to lift said hanger and a second stud, provided with an undercut, projecting upwardly from said surface through the locking stud hole with the undercut portion extending beyond the stud hole and engaging the surface of the carrier, said carrier support being formed by two vertical walls, each formed from flexible sheet material, interengaged into a cross by a central vertical cut in each wall and interlocked by horizontally extending tabs bent from each wall and provided with interengaging notches.

3. An ice cream cone carrier formed from a single piece of flexible sheet material with a grain, such as cardboard, having ice cream cone holes therein and having an upstanding bail hanger turned upwardly from the centre thereof, along a crease line parallel to said grain, said hanger being provided with means proximate its upper end to removably retain bails and having two parti-circular bails turned upwardly from near the rim thereof along crease lines perpendicular to said grain on each side of said central bail hanger.

4. As an article of manufacture a tray formed from cardboard or the like including a hinged upstanding bail hanger cut from the centre thereof and having means proximate its upper end to removably retain bails, one or more hinged bails out from the periphery thereof and a locking hole formed near the centre of said tray adapted to register with a locking stud on a tray support.

5. A blank of flexible material for an article carrier made up of a central tray section, peripheral strips adapted to bend upwardly from said blank to form bails and a bail hanger strip adapted to bend upwardly from near the center of said blank and provided at its free end with notches suitably located for receiving the upper middle part of each bail and holding said bails in a substantially vertical position.

6. In a carrier of cardboard or the like, formed from a single piece and including a tray having a pair of oppositely disposed, upstanding, hinged, peripheral bails the combination of an upstanding bail hanger, cut from a central portion of said tray and adapted to removably connect the central portion of said bails with the central portion of said tray.

7. An ice cream cone carrier support for use with a carrier of flexible sheet material having peripheral bails and a central bail hanger cut therein and bendable upwardly on crease lines to interlock into a handle, said support comprising two vertical walls, each formed from similar flexible sheet material, the walls being interengaged into a cross by a central vertical cut in each wall and interlocked to each other by horizontally bent tabs cut from each wall and held together by interengaging notches in each of said tabs, the surface formed by the upper edges of the crossed walls supporting said carrier.

8. An ice cream cone carrier support for use with a carrier of flexible sheet material having peripheral bails and a central bail hanger cut therein and bendable upwardly on crease lines to interlock into a handle, said support comprising two vertical walls, each formed from similar flexible sheet material, the walls being interengaged into a cross by a central vertical cut in each wall and interlocked to each other by horizontally bent tabs cut from each wall and held together by interengaging notches in each of said tabs, the surface formed by the upper edges of the crossed walls supporting said carrier, and a stud projecting upwardly from proximate the centre of one of said walls, beneath said ball hanger and adapted to raise said hanger on its hinge to a substantially vertical position.

9. An ice cream cone carrier support for use with a carrier of flexible sheet material having peripheral bails and a central bail hanger cut therein and bendable upwardly on crease lines to interlock into a handle, said support comprising two vertical walls, each formed from similar flexible sheet material, the walls being interengaged into a cross by a central vertical cut in each wall and interlocked to each other by horizontally bent tabs cut from each wall and held together by interengaging notches in each of said tabs, the surface formed by the upper edges of the crossed walls supporting said carrier, and a stud, provided with an undercut, projecting up wardly from said surface with the undercut portion extending above the surface of the carrier and engaging an edge thereof.

HOMER A. CLEMENT. THOMAS J. CLEGHORN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 631,520 Dalsheimer Aug. 22, 1899 1,528,620 Kuwahara Mar. 3, 1925 1,821,313 Marsh Sept. 1, 1931 1,884,970 Davis Oct. 25, 1932 2,160,551 Lupton May 30, 1939 

